; and again: "For it is pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to us..." (Acts 15:28). The authority of the Church is unique and inimitable, extending from earth to heaven: "And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (Matt. 16:19). That is why Christ said: "... tell the church; and if he will not listen to the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican" (Matt. 18:17).

There is an ancient saying of Cyprian of Carthage: "To whom the Church is not a mother, God is not the Father."   Sectarian: I want to offer you a text from the Bible. I'm interested to know how you'll interpret it. "For I know that after my departure grievous wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and men will arise from among yourselves, speaking perversely, in order to draw away disciples after them.

Therefore watch, remembering that for three years I have been teaching each one of you day and night without ceasing with tears. And now I commit you, brethren, to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to edify you more, and to give you an inheritance with all those who are sanctified" (Acts 20:29-32). It says that at the end of the apostolic age, a spirit of apostasy will enter the church.

Then it will be necessary to pay more attention to the Scriptures. Up. Paul says: "Now I commit you, brethren, to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to edify you more." It is known that Emperor Constantine played the role of chairman at the Council of Nicaea, actively led the course of discussions. In reverence for the emperor, the bishops, with the exception of only two, recognized and signed the creed, although for many of them this meant going against their convictions.

But it is known that Constantine never refused to worship the Sun and continued to mint its image on his coins. And the day before his death, he made a sacrifice to Zeus in accordance with the title of Pontifex Maximus. Do you call it, in my opinion, "Equal-to-the-Apostles"? As you can see, we also try to study the history of Christianity. Orthodox: Have you read the speeches of Emperor Constantine at the Council, his letters to Arius? Cultist: No.

Orthodox: Then I will allow myself to read some excerpts from his letters and speeches.  "What more shall I say with my little prepared speech, except that my soul, redeemed by His blood, must remain pure." From this text we see his humility and deep hope in the significance of the redemptive sacrifice of the Blood of the Son of God. "Providence!

What a wound it has inflicted on my heart to learn that there have arisen among yourselves dissensions far more important than in Africa, that you, through whom I hoped to give healing to others, are in need of much more healing yourself." Here we see how genuinely concerned he was about the disorders in the Christian church and their consequences for the cause of spreading the Good News.

As he sang of Christian love: "This house of the Lord is guarded by two watchmen: on the one hand , the fear of God for the correction of the thoughts of some people, and on the other , for the sober-minded , the ever-present love of God, this reward of wisdom." It is difficult to imagine that, having such statements, a person renounced Christian principles and concepts and was allowed to preside over the Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.

The significance of the Seven Ecumenical Councils was also emphasized in biblical prophecies: "Wisdom built herself a house, hewn out its seven pillars" (Proverbs 9:1); "And he cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring; and when he cried out, then the seven thunders spoke with their voices" (Rev. 10:3). But let us return to our discussion of the Church. I spoke about the continuity of true Christianity, which for me is identical with the concept of "Orthodoxy".

Now I would like to say about the importance of such a concept as ordination. A lawful, properly ordained priesthood, which has succession from the apostles, is a guarantee of the continuity and truth of the Christian assembly (Church).     3. On Ordination   Orthodox: I know that you do not have ordination as such.

I think this circumstance puts you in a contradictory position in relation to those biblical texts that speak of ordination. The Bible teaches that through ordination the spirit of wisdom and the right to command (to rule over the people of God) are given: "And Joshua the son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, because Moses laid his hands on him, and the children of Israel obeyed him, and did as the Lord commanded Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:9).

Through the ordination, the grace of God was given, and this order was established by God Himself: "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Take to you Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom there is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him... and give him of thy glory, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hear him" (Num. 27:18, 20). Sts. the Apostles were called to serve by the Lord Himself, and He Himself gave them the authority to perform the Sacraments: "And Jesus said to them a second time, Peace be unto you!

as the Father has sent me, so do I send you. And when he had said this, he blew, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (John 20:21-22); "Finally, He appeared to the eleven themselves, reclining at the supper... And he said to them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not believe will be condemned" (Mark 1b:14-1b).

But even the one called directly by Christ to Ap. Paul (Acts 9:1-8) needed the laying on of hands (Latin for confirmation) in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit: "Ananias went and went into the house, and laying his hands on it, he said, 'Brother Saul! The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you in the way you walked, sent me so that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And immediately it was as if scales fell from his eyes, and suddenly he regained his sight; and he arose, and was baptized" (Acts 9:17-18).